A large number of Turks had a first-hand experience of the taste, juiciness and aroma of the famous Pakistani mangoes as they converged at Pakistan House in Ankara on Tuesday evening to feast on a wide spread of mango delights made out of freshly-arrived mangoes from Pakistan. With the aim of further popularizing Pakistani mangoes in Turkey and facilitating their availability in the Turkish market, the Embassy of Pakistan organized a “Pakistan Mango & Food Festival” which also coincided with the commemoration of the Independence Day of Pakistan.

Key political figures, fruit importers, diplomats and media representatives attended. The “Pakistan Mango & Food Festival” included fresh mango and mango cuts as well as wide-range of mango delicacies such as mango milk-shake, mango lassi, mango ice cream, mango salad, mango soufflé, mango mousse, mango trifle, mango tart, mango pudding, and mango cake, made of freshly-arrived mangoes from Pakistan. Pakistani cuisine including ‘Biryani’ made of famous Pakistani Basmati rice was also served at the festival while selected Pakistani music added further to the festive environment. A photographic display of Pakistan’s natural beauty also formed part of the event.

Welcoming the guests, Ambassador Syrus Sajjad Qazi stated that Pakistan was the 5th largest producer and the 6th largest exporter of mangoes. “To Pakistanis, mango or ‘King of Fruits’ is an integral part of our history and rich culture.” The Ambassador said that there were over 110 varieties of high quality Pakistani mangoes including Sindhri, Anwar Retaul, Lungra, Malda, Dusehri, Fajri, Chaunsa and others. “Chaunsa is the most popular variety – and we are serving the White Chaunsa today,” added the Ambassador. He hoped that with such events, Pakistani mangoes would be soon available to mango lovers in Turkey.

Mr. Ali Şahin, Chairman of Turkey-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Turkish Parliament said that he first tasted mangoes when he was a university student in Pakistan. He congratulated the people of Pakistan on the Independence Day and said that 14thAugust is also very important in the Turkish history as on this day, the Justice & Development Party (AK Party) was established 17 years ago. He also thanked the leadership of Pakistan on showing strong solidarity with Turkey during challenging times.

Among those attending, five guests won a box of mangoes at a lucky draw.